REAL ID IS IN EFFECT: NOW WHAT?

Guests traveling through the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) consistently enjoy outstanding service.

Our staff and partner organizations  want to ensure a great experience at OTH. With that in mind, TSA has provided an update and how to avoid strife and unnecessary inconvenience when checking in for your domestic flight. Here are a few simple tips to share:

• Check your ID: Make sure it has the REAL ID star or is an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) from WA, MI, MN, NY, or VT.
• Bring a backup: If your ID isn’t REAL ID compliant, carry another acceptable form of identification.
• Plan ahead: Arrive at least 90 minutes before your flight in case additional screening is needed.
• Lost your ID? TSA can try to verify your identity through the National Transportation Vetting Center, but this can take 15 minutes or more—and if verification isn’t successful, boarding won’t be allowed.

In addition, TSA encourages travelers to give themselves extra time to move through a TSA Check Point; even more than the normally recommended arrival times. Arriving earlier will provide TSA the extra time to assist passengers who might not have REAL ID. For more details, you can visit the Department of Homeland Security’s FAQ page.

The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses and identification cards.”  The Act and implementing regulations establish minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibit federal agencies from accepting for certain official purposes noncompliant driver’s licenses and identification cards, both physical and digital (also known as Mobile Driver’s Licenses, or “mDLs”).